Are Men More Vulnerable to Corona?

Since the early stages of the pandemic, it has been clear that men are more vulnerable to Covid-19: they have fallen ill more frequently than women, and their death rates too have been higher. But a new study has found that the societal backgrounds play a greater role in disease outcomes than gender does.

The study, carried out on men and women in two US states, has been published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Like several previous studies, this one too found that men are more susceptible to Covid -19 than women - but within the same racial group. For example, Black women were found to be up to 4 times more likely to die of Covid-19 than white men are. Black women are also 3 times more likely to die of Covid-19 than Asian American men are. Yet Black women were less susceptible than Black men, White women less than White men, and Asian women less than Asian American men.

The study looked both genders for 3 racial groups - White, Black, and Asian /Pacific Islander. Across the six groups defined by both race and sex, Black men were found to have the highest Covid-19 mortality rate rates- up to six times higher than the rates among white men.

These findings, the researchers said, strongly suggest that the structural inequities in society are a principal factor in driving disparities in Covid-19 health outcomes across and between social groups.

The researchers used statistics through late September 2020 from Georgia and Michigan, the only two US states that collected data tabulating age, race, and gender for all individual Covid-19 patients. Overall, they found similar patterns in both Georgia and Michigan.

The authors cited limitations in the availability of data, and the fact that Michigan listed both "probable" and "confirmed" deaths while Georgia listed only "confirmed" deaths. Also, they wrote, examination of these data in relations to these variables such as occupation, state-level policies, neighborhood characteristics, and socio economic status is required to situate outcomes in intersecting systems of power and oppression.

The study found that in Michigan, the mortality rate for Black men was 1.7 times greater than the rate for Black women; among whites, the mortality rate was only 1.3 times greater for men than for women. That variation likely shows the relative importance of social inequalities rather than biology, they said.

Other factors leading to the vulnerabilities

There are other factors which increases the vulnerabilities in men.

Some ways to avoid getting infected from Covid-19

1. Always wear mask whenever you go out. The mask should cover both your nose and mouth.

2. Maintain distance of at least 2 yards to avoid transmission of virus from one body to another.

3. Sanitize yourself whenever you come home from outside. Its advisable that you should sanitize the things which you bought from groceries or from outside.

4. If you are in contact with Covid-19 patient and you too have some health problems, specially problem in breathing, then go through Covid-19 test as quickly as possible. if you are tested positive the quarantine yourself for at least 14 days.

5. one of the first symptom of Covid-19 is having problem in breathing, so to have normal breathing, an Indian homemade remedy might help. Boil cinnamon, cardamom cloves, and fennel seeds in water and inhale the steam coming out from it. This water is called as Kadha in Hindi. The steam can help in reducing breathing problems.

6. Last but not least, DON'T PANIC. If toy tested positive then don't be panic or afraid. Alot of people beat this pandemic with correct precautions. if they can they you too.

BE SAFE.